Bible Reading Blog

“The Most Boring Part of the Bible”

Genealogies have to be some of the most boring parts of the Bible. So and so begot so and so... on and on. (That’s why we chose it for week one of our bible reading, right?) But genealogies aren’t simply verses for us to skip over. They document people and events throughout history that have significance to our faith and our hope. Consider these lessons we learn about God from the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:

Genealogies show us...

God’s promises. In Genesis 12, God made a promise to Abraham that got the ball rolling for “all nations to be blessed” (Genesis 12.3). This promise wasn’t just for Israel; this promise was for everyone to have hope of reconciliation with God. It should be no surprise that Matthew starts the genealogy with Abraham. He wants the readers to remember that promise and see how God fulfilled that promise through Christ.

God’s plan. As part of his promises, God preserved and protected the lineage of Abraham and David through which Christ would come (Genesis 12; 2 Samuel 7; Acts 2.30). In a subtle way Matthew’s genealogy tells the story that brings us to Christ. By referencing specific characters, he is reminding us that there were times when it seemed like their story was over and all hope was lost... but God was behind the scenes orchestrating his plan to bring Jesus. The plan should encourage us because it demonstrates that God is faithful to his promises.

God’s patterns. Notice the detail given at the end of the genealogy: between each major patriarch and event were 14 generations (Matthew 1.17). Why does this information matter? It shows us the way God works is not random. There was a pattern to his work through Jesus that was logical and systematic. God wasn’t making decisions on a whim. He purposed before the foundations of the world how the plan would play out (1 Timothy 1.9; 1 Peter 1.19-20) and Paul tells us that “when the fullness of time came” God sent the Christ (Galatians 4.4; Ephesians 1.10). We may not always perceive God's patterns in the moment, but in hindsight they show us God’s intentionality and forethought.

God’s purpose. As Matthew concludes his genealogy, he definitively states that “Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1.16). Christ is not Jesus’ last name - it is a title signifying his purpose. “Christ” comes from a Greek word meaning “chosen one” or “anointed one”. Throughout history God revealed that he would be sending a chosen one, to “set the captives free” (Isaiah 61.1), and every book of the Bible points to the fact that someone is coming. Matthew’s designation of “Jesus, who is called Christ” sets the course of his narrative as he demonstrates that Jesus is that someone, who came into the world to fulfill God’s purpose and to save sinners (1 Timothy 1.15).